Trolley conveyer



June 16, 1931. E. v. FRANCIS l 1,810,417

TROLLEY CONVEYER Filed April 21,v 1930 5, Serial No. 416,187, filed Dec.23, 1929, in

Patented June 16, 19131' UNITED srm'as PATENT orFlcE EARLE V. FRANCIS,OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR T0 THE JEFFREY MANUFACTUR- ING- COMPANY, OFCOLUMBUS, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO TROLLEY CONVEYER Application ledApril 21,

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in trolleyconveyers ofthe t pe disclosed in my co-pending applications,

erial No. 275,212, filed May 4, 1928 and which a series of load supportsor trolley hangers are connected with an endless draft device whichpropels the series of load sup'- ports along a trackway.

An important object of the invention 1s to provide a trolley conveyercapable of traversing horizontal and vertical curves in a trackwaywithout causing undue friction or imposing stresses upon the partsconstituting the conveyer and is accomplished, as in the aforesaidco-pending applications, by providing a construction which will kcausethe center lines of the trolley hangers to lie in the lines yofre-action normal to the trackway in passing about curves, so that thehangers are maintained radial to the curve of the trackway.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a conveyer ofthis class in which the draft device does not necessarily depend uponthe trolley hangers to form connections between various sections of thedraft device.

Another important object of the invention is to provide the unitarydraft device with means for cooperation with the trolley hangers forcausing the portions of the draft device at opposite sides of eachhanger to assume corresponding angular relationship with the hangerswhen traversing curves in the trackway to maintain the hangers radial tothe curve of the trackway.

Other objects and advantages of the`invention will become apparentduring the course of the :following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of the description andwherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughoutthe several views,

Figure 1 is a side elevation yof a trolley hanger showing the positionof the draft device at opposite sides thereof when passing around acurve. p

Figure 2 is a similar View on an enlarged scale with a part broken awayshowing the position of the draft device at opposite sides 1930, serialNo. 446,068.

of the same when traversing straight trackway.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure2, showing a hanger supported by an overhead track, and

consists generally of an inverted U-shaped t hanger 6 upon'which aresupported, angle bars 7 forming the trackway. Adapted to move along thistrackway are a plurality of trolley hangers indicated in their entiretyby the numeral 8. Each of these trolley hangers includes a body 9 havinga pair of rollers 10 adapted to engage and move on the trackway 7 tosupport a load supporting arm 11 pivotally connected to the lower end ofthe hanger body by means of a bolt 12. As in my co-pending applications,an antifriction and guide roller 13 is mounted on a vertical axis withina slot of the hanger body to engage the depending flanges of thetrackway 7 to reduce friction and to assist in retaining the hangersradially disposed relative to the trackway.

Below the guide roller 13, the hanger body 9 is pierced with a slot 14.The two sides of the hanger body forming the side walls of this slotextend laterally to provide ears 15 and 17 at opposite sides of thehanger, the ears 15 being perforated with aligned round openings 16,while the ears 17 at the opposite side of the hanger are provided withregistering horizontally disposed elongated openings 18, for a purposewhich will presently appear.

In order to connect the various trolley hangers in series and to propelthem along the trackway 7, a draft device is provided. This draft devicemay assumemany different forms, but is here illustrated as beingcomposed of a series of links 19 consisting of pairs of side straps heldin spaced relation by barrels 20 mounted upon pintles 21 connecting thevarious links of the chain on vertical axes. At certain intervalsthroughout the length of the chain where it is to be connected to thetrolley hangers, the chain includes a pair of clevises 22 and 23 forminglinks of the chain. The outer end of each clevis is bifurcated as at 24and apertured to receive the adjacent links 19 of the chain to bepivotally connected thereto on vertical axes, by means of the pintles21. Cotter pins 25 or other releasable means are extended through theends of the pintles 21 to prevent accidental displacement thereof Theinner end of the clevis link 23 is bifurcated as at 26 to receive aprojection 27 of the clevis link 22 and a pivot pin 28 extends throughapertures in these interfitting ends of the clevises for pivotallyconnecting the same on a horizontal axis. Thus the clevises beingpivotally connected together and to the links 19, it Will b e seen thatthe draft chain is a complete unit in itself and is not dependent uponthe. hangers to form connection between the various links thereof.

In order to connect the trolley hangers Wi th the draft chain, one ofthe pintles 21 is removed and the clevis links 22 and 23 are slippedthrough the slot 14 in the hanger. so that the pivot pin 28 is disposedtherein at approximately the longitudinal center line of the hanger.This pin 28 is held against displacement from the clevis links by reasonof the fact that its ends abut the side walls of the slot 14. The pintleis then re-placed to connect the two ends `of the chain, so that thelinks constituting one portion of the chain are arranged at one side ofthe hanger and designated A, while another portion of the chaindesignated B is disposed at the oppossite side of the hanger. Each ofthe clevis links 22 and 23 is apertured for the projection of a pivotpin 29 therethrough and through the openings 16 and 18 in the trolleyhanger. Cotter pins or other suitable means 30. are extended llthroughthe ends of these pins to prevent accidental displacement thereof and awasher 3l is placed on the free end of the pin 29, which extends throughthe elongated openings 18 of the trolley hanger to prevent 115dislocation of the parts and free movement of the pin 29 in the openingsor slots 18.

This inter-connection between the clevises 22 and 23 and theirconnection with the trolley hangers provides a toggle mechanism in 120the draft chain which is normally straightened out, as shown in Figure2, when the hangers are traversing a straight portion of the trackway 7The vertical pintles 21 enable the draft chain to flex when traversing125 horizontal curves, While the toggle mechanism enables the draftchain to Hex properly without unduly stressing any of the parts when thedraft chain and hangers traverse vertical curves in the trackway, due tothe fact that 130 the trolley hangers are maintained in the lines ofre-action normal to the trackway and therefore radial with respect tothe curve they traverse to relieve the parts from undue breakingstresses which would otherwise be imposed thereon when traversing avertical curve. The elongated openings or slots 18 in the hanger permitof the toggle flexing on its pivot 28 when traversing vertical curvesand enables the toggle mechanism to cause the portions of the chain Aand B at opposite sides of the trolley hanger to de disposed at equalangles with respect to the hanger at opposite sides thereof and upon thesame side of the pivot pins 29 to maintain the hangers in the desiredradial relation. This flexing movement of the toggle joint moves thepins 29 and the portion of the Ichain B inwardly toward the center ofthe hanger as the hanger moves around a vertical curve in the trackway.y

Having thus fully described the invention, it will be evident thatvarious changes in the construction and arrangement of parts may beresorted to without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is: f

1. The combination with a trolley hanger; of a draft device havingportions connected thereto and to each other and extending from oppositesides of said hanger, and means causing one of said portions of thedraft device to shift longitudinally thereof upon movement of the otherportion of the draft device relative to haid hanger.

2. In a trolley conveyer, the combination with a trolley hanger; of adraft device having interconnected portions connected to the hanger andextending from opposite sides of said hanger, and a sliding connectionbetween one of said portions an'd said hanger for causing the portionsof the draft device to be arranged at equal angles with respect to saidhanger at opposite'sides thereof.

3. In a trolley conveyer, the combination with a trolley hanger; of adraft device having portions pivotally connected thereto and to eachother and extending from opposite sides of said hanger, and a slidingconnection between one of said portions and said hanger for causing theportions of the draft device to be arranged at equal angles with respectto' said hanger at opposite sides thereof.

4. The combination with a trolley hanger; of a draft device havingportions connected to the hanger and to each other and extending fromopposite sides of the hanger, and one of said connections of the draftportions with the hanger being movable inwardly of the latter.

5. The combination with a trolley hanger; of a draft device havingportions connected to the hanger and to each other and extending fromopposite sides of the hanger, and

with the hanger being relatively fixed) with respect to the hanger andthe other of said connections being movable inwardly of said hanger.

6. Ina trolley conveyer, the combination with al trolleyl hanger havingan opening therethrough; of a draft chain including a pair of clevisespivotally connected together within said opening, means for pivotallyconnecting said clevises to said hanger, and one of said last ynamedpivotal connections being movable inwardly of said hanger.

7. In a trolley conveyer, the combination with a trolley hanger having aslot; of a draft chain including a pair of clevises pivotally connectedtogether, pins extending through said clevises and said hanger forpivotally connecting the same thereto, and

one of said pins being movable in said slot.

8. In a trolley conveyer, the combination with a trolley hanger; of adraft device exible in one direction, said draft device having portionspivotally connected together and to said hanger to permit iexing ofsaid4 draft device in a direction at right angles to the aforesaiddirection, and one of said last named connections being movable inwardlyof said hanger'forcausing portions of said draft device at oppositesides of saidhanger to be arranged at equal angles with respect to saidhanger.

9. In a trolley conveyer, the combination with a trolley hanger; of adraft chain com-` posed of links connected on vertical axes, said chainincluding a pair of links pivotally connected to said hanger onhorizontal axes, a pin pivotally connecting said pair of links,

and the pivot of one of said links being movable inwardly of saidhanger.

' 10. The combination with a trolley hanger having slots therein; ofa-pair of links extending through the hanger and pivotally connectedtogether on a horizontal axis, a

horizontal pivot pin pivotally mounting one of said links in saidhanger, and a second horizontal pivot pin pivotally mounting the otherlink in said hanger-and being slidably mounted in said slotsf 11. In atrolley conveyer including a trackway, thecombination with a trolley yhanger; of a draft device connected therewith and having portionsextending from opposite sides thereof, and sliding means associated withsaid hanger for causing said portions of the draft device ton bedisposed 'symmetrically and atequal angles relative to said hangers whentraversing a vertical curve in a trackway.

12. In a trolley conveyer including a trackway, the combination with atrolley hanger;

of a draft device connected therewith and having portions extending fromopposite sides thereof, and sliding means associated with said hangerfor causing said hangers to be disposed radial with respect to the of adraft device having portions connected with said hanger and extendingfrom opposite sides thereof to swing vertically, and a sliding elementassociated with said hanger and having connections with said portionsfor causing equal angular movement thereof.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto'set m hand.

y EARLE- v. FRANCIS.

